Your company's reputation is everything. One bad review can tarnish your employer brand and make it harder to attract top talent. We'll explore the common pitfalls that lead to negative reviews and provide actionable strategies to prevent them.
In this episode, we tackle a critical issue for every company: "Help! We Get Bad Reviews!" Your company's reputation, especially as an employer, is vital. One negative review can send shockwaves through your recruitment efforts, deterring top talent from applying. We explore common reasons behind these bad reviews and offer practical, actionable strategies to prevent and respond to them effectively.
Oliver shares a personal story of a "red alert" on a Monday morning when a bad review hit the company unexpectedly. He walks us through what went wrong, from taking the feedback personally to asking unproductive questions like "Who betrayed us?" when no one responded. Yet, we also discuss what the company did right—confronting management with critical issues, gathering feedback from employees, and making real changes, proving that company values and culture can't just be words on a wall.
We dive into tactical strategies for addressing negative reviews, especially when you're in HR or recruitment at a small company. Don’t take criticism personally, even if it's directed at you. Set up alerts on platforms like Glassdoor or Kununu, analyze the feedback, and look for patterns. Is there a specific context, such as differences between candidate and employee reviews? Then, craft personal, timely responses, thanking the reviewer and offering solutions or changes.
Transparency is key—share the feedback internally to build trust and involve your employees in creating meaningful change. And while you can encourage positive reviews, authenticity is important. Avoid writing them yourself and instead focus on building a positive online presence by sharing updates about improvements.
Next, we shift into strategic aspects of avoiding future bad reviews, focusing on creating alignment between the people you hire and your company’s actual needs and culture. Is your candidate persona well-defined? Are your job ads honest about what the role involves? We examine how miscommunication in the recruitment process, skill gaps, or broken promises can create a disconnect that leads to dissatisfaction and poor reviews.
A structured onboarding process is essential: did you know 28% of employees quit within the first 90 days due to poor onboarding? A strong onboarding process can increase retention by 82% and productivity by 70%, while a negative one causes disengagement and, ultimately, departures. And don't forget offboarding—ending things gracefully can prevent lingering negativity.
Finally, we discuss the importance of leadership in shaping the employee experience. Studies show that bad leadership impacts employee well-being more than any other factor, even their personal relationships. Addressing this is critical to preventing negative reviews.
Whether you're in HR, recruitment, or management, this episode is packed with insights and tools to help you safeguard your employer brand and ensure your company’s reputation thrives!
